Foster care may lead to a new life, but it can also lead to a new outlook on life.In one day, Philadelphia 12-year-old Winifred's life changes when she is assigned to live with Margery in rural Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Fred is in the foster system because her mother, an addict, was caught stealing prescription medication from the pharmacy where she worked as a janitor. While at Margery's, Fred develops an affinity for Toby, an abused dog that belongs to Margery's hostile, gun-wielding neighbor, Mr. Carder. When Mr. Carder has an accident that requires extensive hospitalization, Fred and Margery take in Toby and begin to rehabilitate him. Fred also begins a tentative friendship with Ardelia "Lardvark" Lark, a big girl who is the target of school bullies. Galante packs a lot into a relatively short story, and the plot suffers as a result. The majority of the characters—Fred included—feel two-dimensional as they leap from life-changing moment to life-changing moment. As guide/foster mother/wise-woman supreme, Margery is the most nuanced, but as a single-parent foster placement in a county at three removes from Philadelphia, her inclusion in the story requires astute readers to suspend a lot of disbelief. Toby's arc is equally improbable (if unsurprising), as he transforms from a wild, underfed, balding, and abused yard dog into a handsome, thick-coated pet. Equally disheartening is the lack of diversity in this default-white tale.A promising plot but a cursory execution. (Fiction. 10-14)

A 12-year-old in emotional and physical limbo narrates this beautiful novel by Galante (Stealing Our Way Home) about loss, honesty, and self-reliance. Fred (short for Winifred) is sent to live with a foster mother, Margery, a motorcycle-riding sculptor and welder, after her single mother, who refuses to acknowledge her drug addiction, is jailed for stealing prescription drugs from the pharmacy where she works. The story-s multiple threads and relationships are precisely limned: Fred and Margery are both new to the foster-care system; Margery experienced hurt and anger growing up in a dysfunctional family, in her case with an abusive father and a drug-addicted sister; and Delia, Fred-s new classmate and friend, is ignored by her grief-consumed parents following her brother-s drowning and is bullied at school. Most heartrending is the relationship between Fred and Toby, the grossly neglected, dirt-caked dog next door, who observes the girl looking -defeated. Exhausted. And utterly alone.- Galante-s insightful portrayal of the interwoven bonds among Margery, Fred, Delia, and Toby-and how they save one another-creates a deeply affecting, ultimately hopeful novel. Ages 8-12. (June)

Gr 5-8 When her mother is arrested for stealing prescription medication, Fred is placed in foster care and relocated from their Philadelphia home to Lancaster County, PA. Still adjusting to the sudden changes, and the vastly different landscape of rural life, Fred quickly finds a friend in Toby, the neglected dog next door. He seems just about as downtrodden as she feels, so repeated warnings to stay away by her foster mother and the dog's ornery owner fall unheeded. After a serious accident leaves the dog's elderly owner incapacitated, Fred, her foster mother, and a bullied classmate take over caring for Toby, inadvertently learning to care for one another in the process. Galante realistically yet gently deals with some hard-hitting topics while offering a fresh, much needed look at addiction, especially the misconceptions surrounding prescription drug abuse. From the no-nonsense, motorcycling foster mom, to the troubled but loyal friend Ardelia, Galante creates a well-crafted novel full of likable characters who, though flawed, are strong, independent, and nurturing women that persevere at overcoming adversity. VERDICT Despite its weighty subject matter, this is a hopeful, upbeat read with moments reminiscent of Shiloh and The Great Gilly Hopkins . A fine selection for any middle grade collection. Rebecca Gueorguiev, New York Public Library